Common Questions

Raising money

GoFundMe makes it incredibly easy to raise money online for the things that matter to you most. In just a few minutes, you'll be able to personalize your fundraising campaign and share it with the people in your life. In fact, over $5 billion has been raised by GoFundMe users.

With GoFundMe, the money you collect goes directly to you. There are no deadlines or limits — each donation you receive is yours to keep. Raising money for yourself or a loved one has never been easier. Plus, we're here to help. GoFundMe will respond to your emails 24/7.

GoFundMe features the very best in secure payment encryption technology. Your donors' online payments are safe, and your money is stored securely until you're ready to request a withdrawal via electronic bank transfer. US organizers and beneficiaries may also request a check.

Once your GoFundMe starts receiving online donations, you can easily request a withdrawal at any time. Withdrawing money does not affect the progress meter displayed on your campaign. Simply click 'Withdraw' while logged into your account and follow the instructions. You can withdraw your balance directly to your bank account. Bank transfers take 2-5 business days to arrive. US organizers and beneficiaries may also request a check. Learn how to start withdrawals.

Yes. GoFundMe makes it easy for another friend or family member to securely access the funds you have raised. Through GoFundMe, they will receive direct access to the money you have raised. Please note: You will not be able to enter their check or bank information during the withdrawal process; they will need to do this themselves. Learn how to invite a beneficiary.

GoFundMe is powered by the kindness of our donors. Donors to your campaign may choose to give GoFundMe a voluntary tip during the donation process. These tips allow us to maintain and improve our free platform so that we can help even more people. We are incredibly grateful for the donors who help us keep GoFundMe the safest, most trusted, and most successful option for personal fundraising.

No, never. With GoFundMe, there are no deadlines or time limits. Your campaign will remain live until you choose to turn off donations or remove the campaign altogether. Most organizers leave their campaigns active indefinitely to refer back to the kind comments and support they received. Learn more.

No problem. Reaching your goal is not required. With GoFundMe, you keep each and every donation you receive. Your campaign will be able to accept donations even after your goal is reached. Once the goal is reached, the progress meter on your campaign will show that you have received more than your goal amount. If you’d like to continue raising money, you can keep your campaign running for as long as you’d like. Learn more about goals.

GoFundMe provides an easy way to raise money from your friends, family, and online community. Our platform makes it simple to share your campaign in a variety of ways to bring in donations, track your progress, and post updates to engage your community. Check out our Campaign Success Tips for advice on how to raise more donations.

Donating

We are proud to offer the first and only donor protection guarantee in the industry: the GoFundMe Guarantee. Every day, thousands of people get the help they need from generous donors. Our team of Trust & Safety specialists work night and day to make sure that funds get to the intended recipient, every time. In the rare case that something isn’t right, we will refund your donation. If funds aren’t delivered to the right person, we will donate the missing amount.

The GoFundMe Guarantee protects your donation. It takes a leap of faith to help someone else. That’s why we make sure to honor your generosity by backing it up with the first and only guarantee for online fundraising. In the rare case that something isn’t right, we will refund your donation.

GoFundMe is powered by the kindness of our donors. While donating to a campaign, you may choose to give GoFundMe a voluntary contribution for providing our services and support to the campaign organizer. These tips allow us to keep our platform free and continue to build and improve so that we can help people more than ever. We are incredibly grateful for the donors that help us keep GoFundMe the safest, most trusted, and most successful option for people in need.

GoFundMe gets your funds to you quickly because we know that many fundraising needs are time-sensitive. You can set up withdrawals and add your bank account as soon as you accept the campaign organizer’s invitation to make you a beneficiary. Bank transfers then take 2-5 business days to arrive. Learn about being a beneficiary.